THUNDER BAY - If the fact that one of Thunder Bay’s most beloved festivals revolves around drinking beer surprises you… well, it shouldn’t.
The people of Thunder Bay love craft beer, but according to Jon Hendel, co-chair of BrewHa Craft Beer Festival, the event is becoming something more.
“It’s definitely not just a beer festival. It’s a craft beverage festival.”
Hendel said organizers have made a concerted effort to diversify the drink selections, and has included more spirit beverages, soda blends, and ciders. That way there’s something for everyone.
On Saturday, during the afternoon session of BrewHa at Marina Park, there were hot temperatures, sunny skies, workers that were still a little hungover from the night before, and plenty of drinks to be had.
Blair Hagman, president of Manitoulin Brewing Company, made his first appearance at the festival this year.
He said the 10-hour-drive from Manitoulin Island, Ont. was well worth it.
“It’s quite popular, actually. It was something we really wanted to get to as soon as the brewery was established,” Hagman said of BrewHa.
Despite the fact the Elgin Street Craft Beer Festival in Sudbury is located about 1,000 kilometres closer, and is held during the same weekend as BrewHa, Hagman opted for the Thunder Bay experience.
“It’s a beautiful drive to come here. We want to have a good presence in Thunder Bay because we have our products here, so we want to talk to the customers that enjoy our beers.”
Like many out-of-towners, the idea is to give residents a taste of the place they come from.
Manitoulin’s flagship beer, Swingbridge, is named after the Little Current Swing Bridge that connects Manitoulin Island with the Ontario mainland.
The most popular for the festival, however, is the Small Batch Lemon Weiss which combines the brewery’s German wheat beer with lemon.
“That’s going well today because it’s sunny. People want something refreshing,” Hagman said.
As for the locals, BrewHa has become a tradition for many.
One group of friends who attended the Saturday session said they attend the festival every year. They even sit at the same table, and become beer connoisseurs for the day.
“I’m not a connoisseur, I just really like beer,” one friend said.
They say BrewHa is one of Thunder Bay’s best events for a number of reasons.
“I really enjoy finding beers I otherwise wouldn’t try. Every year I find a beer that becomes my go-to beer for the year,” Jeff Vandahl said.
“I think it’s the beer, the friends, and the sunshine. It's a simple formula,” Stephen Holloway said.
“We’ve been to brew festivals in Toronto… and (BrewHa) just has a good feel to it,” Sandra Reith said.
“They’ve got really good local food vendors. Without the food it wouldn’t be as enjoyable. I like to pair some food with all this beer,” Vandahl said.
“And then afterwards we’re downtown, you can walk to any restaurants down here and a lot of them feature beer that has been down here,” Reith said, referring to the Tap Takeover.
“That’s really cool, because it’s all places we like to go throughout the year anyways, but it’s just a little unique.” Vandahl said.
“It’s not the beer gardens feel. When you go to (other events), there’s a beer tent. Everybody here is just out having a good time, having a beer, and mingling. It’s not isolated.”
With all the positive reception, it’s no wonder why 4,500 people sell out the festival each time.
When asked what the secret ingredient is, Hendel said, “breathing room, man.”
“We could sell a lot more. We sold out two weeks ago. We could have sold a lot more but it’s nice to not seem claustrophobic. It’s nice not to wait in lines.”
Hendell said if the city could offer a larger venue, they’d like to see the festival expand in the future, but for now:
“We’re just going to stay around this size. We like it.”
